Containment/exclusion booms can be used to restrict and control the flow of contaminants from one side of the boom to the other. Such contaminants can cause stagnation of contained water, as in the case of surrounding any type of suspended sediment, organics, petroleum products (e.g., petroleum hydrocarbons), construction in or near water bodies, dredging, etc., as is seen with the use of sediment settling ponds, which are sometimes constructed with dams or earthen structures to allow adequate detention time for sediment settling. The reduced circulation of water within these structures as well as the biodegradation of organic material leads to reduced oxygen levels in the contained water. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a containment/exclusion boom which can substantially contain pollutants and exclude them from surface runoff into drinking water reservoirs without causing stagnation behind the boom in the settling pond area.
The present invention overcomes these deficiencies of the art.